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introduced, on account of the connexion of the subjects; nevertheless, such is the multitude and variety of errors promulgated in our times on that point, that it will greatly tend to the public welfare to give a more exact and full explanation thereof, by which, through the assistance of the Holy Spirit, all errors may be exposed and eradicated, and the Catholic truth rendered more clear and illustrious: which explanation the sacred, holy, oecumenical, and universal Council of Trent, lawfully assembled, &c. doth now propound to all Christians, to be by them ever preserved.

"CHAP. I. Of the necessity and institution of the sacrament

of penance.

"If, in all the regenerate, there were such gratitude to God that they always kept the righteousness received by his goodness and grace in baptism, there would have been no need to institute another sacrament for the remission of sins, besides baptism. But since God, who is rich in mercy, knoweth our frame, he hath provided a saving remedy for those who yield themselves again to the slavery of sin, and the power of the devil; namely, the sacrament of penance, whereby the benefits of the death of Christ are applied to those who sin after baptism.* Now, in order to obtain grace and righteousness, penance was always necessary for all men who had defiled themselves with mortal sin, even for those who sought to be

Dieu se fassent si mal. Il n'y a personne qui se déclare pour lui, et qui ose parler. Nous sommes tous des chiens muets, canes muti non valentes latrare.” p. 247.

* The word "penance" is used by Roman-catholic writers in a twofold sense:-1. "Interior sorrow of heart" on account of sin; this is " penance as a virtue," and it "consists in turning to God sincerely and from the heart, and in hating and detesting our past transgressions with a firm resolution of amendment of life, hoping to obtain pardon through the mercy of God." 2. "Exterior indication of such sorrow;" this is external penance, or the sacrament of penance; and it "consists of certain sensible things, significant of that which passes interiorly in the soul." . . . . " Pronouncing upon his own actions, every man has reason to question the accuracy of his own judgment, and hence, on the sincerity of interior penance, the mind must be held in anxious suspense. To calm this our solicitude, the Redeemer instituted the sacrament of penance, in which we cherish a well-founded hope that our sins are forgiven us by the absolution of the priest; and the faith which we justly have in the efficacy of the sacraments has much influence in tranquillizing the

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washed in the sacrament of baptism, that, renouncing and amending their perverseness, they might regard so great offences against God with utmost abhorrence and hatred, and pious grief of mind. Whence the prophet saith, Be converted, and do penance for all your iniquities, and iniquity shall not be ruin.' (Ezek. xviii. 30.) The Lord also said, Except you do penance, you shall all likewise perish.' (Luke xiii. 5.) And Peter, the prince of the apostles, recommending penance to those sinners who were about to be initiated by baptism, said, 'Do penance, and be baptized every one of you.' (Acts ii. 38.) Yet penance was not a sacrament before the coming of Christ, nor since his coming is it a sacrament to any before baptism. But the Lord specially instituted the sacrament of penance, when, after his resurrection, he breathed on his disciples, saying, Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.' (John xx. 22, 23.) By this remarkable action, and by these express words, as the fathers have by universal consent always understood the same, the power of forgiving and retaining sins, in order to reconcile the faithful who have sinned after baptism, was communicated to the apostles and their lawful successors; and the Catholic church hath, with good reason, rejected and condemned as heretics the Novatians, who obstinately deny the power of forgiving.* Wherefore this holy synod, approving and receiving the above most evident sense of those words of our Lord, condemns the

troubled conscience, and giving peace to the soul. The voice of the priest, who is legitimately constituted a minister for the remission of sins, is to be heard as that of Christ himself, who said to the lame man, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee.'" . . . . . "Moreover, as salvation is unattainable but through Christ and the merits of his passion, the institution of this sacrament was in itself accordant to the views of divine wisdom, and pregnant with blessings to the Christian. Penance is the channel through which the blood of Christ flows into the soul, washes away the stains contracted after baptism, and calls forth from us the grateful acknowledgment, that to the Saviour alone we are indebted for the blessing of a reconciliation with God."-Catechism, pp. 253-257.

The Novatians first appeared in the third century. They held that those who had lapsed in the time of persecution were not to be restored to the fellowship of the church, although they did not deny the possibility of their repentance and final salvation.

vain interpretations of those persons who falsely restrict them to the power of preaching the word of God and publishing the gospel of Christ, in opposition to the institution of this sacrament.*

"CHAP. II. Of the difference between the sacrament of
penance and the sacrament of baptism.

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"But this sacrament is known to differ from baptism in many respects. For besides that the matter and form in which the essence of a sacrament consists, are exceedingly different, it is very plain that the minister of baptism cannot be a judge, since the church exercises judgment only on those who have first entered into her by the gate of baptism. For what have I to do,' saith the apostle, 'to judge them who are without?' (1 Cor. v. 12.) But it is otherwise with those who are of the household of faith, whom Christ the Lord hath made members of his body in the laver of baptism. For if these afterwards defile themselves by any transgression, it is not his will that they should be cleansed by a repetition of baptism, which is on no account lawful in the Catholic church; but they should be placed as offenders before the tribunal of penance, that they may be absolved by the sentence of the priests, not once only, but as often as they penitently flee thereto, confessing their sins. The fruit of baptism is also different from the fruit of penance; for in baptism we put on Christ and are made new creatures in him, obtaining the full and entire remission of all our sins; but divine justice requires that we should not be able

"That penance is a sacrament the pastor will not find it difficult to establish; baptism is a sacrament because it washes away all, particularly original sin; penance also washes away all sins of thought or deed committed after baptism on the same principle, therefore, penance is a sacrament. Again, and the argument is conclusive, a sacrament is the sign of a sacred thing, and what is done externally, by the priest and penitent, is a sign of what takes place internally, in the soul; the penitent unequivocally expresses, by words and actions, that he has turned away from sin: this is also clearly evinced by these words of the Saviour, 'I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever sins you loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven.' The absolution of the priest, which is expressed in words, seals therefore the remission of sins, which it accomplishes in the soul, and thus is penance invested with all the necessary conditions of a sacrament, and is, therefore, truly a sacrament."-Catechism, p. 257.

again to attain this new and perfect state, through the sacrament of penance, without many tears and great efforts, so that penance was deservedly called by the holy fathers a kind of laborious baptism. And the sacrament of penance is as necessary to salvation for those who have sinned after baptism, as baptism itself for the unregenerate.*

"CHAP. III. Of the parts and fruit of this sacrament.

"The holy council further teaches that the form of the sacrament of penance, in which its power chiefly lies, resides in the words of the minister, I absolve thee from thy sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.' To which words certain prayers are added, by a laudable custom of holy church; yet they do not belong to the essence of its form, nor are they necessary to the administration of the sacrament itself. Moreover, the acts of the penitent,—namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction,-are the matter, as it were, of this sacrament ;† which, inasmuch as they are required by divine appointment in order to the completeness of the sacrament, and the full and perfect remission of sins, are for this reason called the parts of penance. And, assuredly, the substance and effect of this sacrament, as far as relates to its

"To it belongs, in so special a manner, the efficacy of remitting actual guilt, that without its intervention we cannot obtain or even hope for pardon."-Catechism, p. 261.

"When the holy synod says that they are the matter as it were,' it is not because they are not the real matter, but because they are not, like water in baptism, and chrism in confirmation, matter that may be applied externally. With regard to the opinion of some, who hold that the sins themselves constitute the matter of this sacrament, if well weighed, it will not be found to differ from what has been already laid down ; we say, that wood which is consumed by fire is the matter of fire; and sins which are destroyed by penance may be also called, with propriety, the matter of penance.”—Ibid. p. 258.

"To this sacrament it is peculiar that, besides matter and form, which are common to all the sacraments, it has also what are called integral parts of penance, and these integral parts are contrition, confession, and satisfaction. These component parts of penance are such as we say are necessary to constitute a whole. The human form, for instance, is composed of many members, of hands, of feet, of eyes, &c., of which, if any are wanting, man is justly deemed imperfect, and if not, perfect. Analogous to this, penance consists of the three parts which we have already enumerated; and although, as far as

power and efficacy, is reconciliation with God; which produces in pious souls, who receive this sacrament in a devotional manner, tranquillity and peace of conscience, accompanied with strong spiritual consolation.* In making these statements respecting the parts and effects of this sacrament, the holy council condemns the sentiments of those persons who contend that the terrors with which the conscience is smitten, and faith, are the parts of penance.

"CHAP. IV. Of contrition.

"Contrition, which holds the first place in the above-mentioned acts of the penitent, is the sorrow and detestation which the mind feels for past sin, with a purpose of sinning no more. Now, this emotion of contrition was always necessary in order to obtain the pardon of sins; and when a man has sinned after baptism it prepares him for the remission of sin, if joined with confidence in the mercy of God, and an earnest desire of performing whatever is necessary to the proper reception of the

regards the nature of penance, contrition and confession are sufficient for justification, yet, if unaccompanied with satisfaction, something is still wanting to its integrity. . . . . Why these are integral parts of penance may be thus explained: We sin against God by thought, word, and deed: when recurring to the power of the keys we should therefore endeavour to appease his wrath, and obtain the pardon of our sins, by the very same means by which we offended his supreme majesty. In further explanation we may also add, that penance is, as it were, a compensation for offences, which proceed from the free-will of the person offending, and is appointed by the will of God, to whom the offence has been offered. On the part of the penitent, therefore, a willingness to make this compensation is required, and in this willingness chiefly consists contrition. The penitent must also submit himself to the judgment of the priest, who is the vicegerent of God, to enable him to award a punishment proportioned to his guilt, and hence are clearly understood the nature and necessity of confession and satisfaction."-Catechism, p. 262.

"Of penance it may be truly said, that its root is bitter, but its fruit sweet. The great efficacy of penance is, therefore, that it restores us to the favour of God, and unites us to him in the closest bonds of friendship. From this reconciliation with God, the devout soul, who approaches the sacrament with deep sentiments of piety and religion, sometimes experiences the greatest tranquillity and peace of conscience—a tranquillity and peace accompanied with the sweetest spiritual joy. There is no sin, however grievous, no crime, however enormous or however frequently repeated, which penance does not remit."-Ibid. p. 2 . 260.

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